Due: Tue Feb 15, class time

Now that you have experience creating different heat-sealed actuation systems, we could would like you to work in pairs to apply them on the body.

par·a·site/ˈperəˌsīt/

noun: parasite; plural noun: parasites

  1. an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.”the parasite attaches itself to the mouths of fishes”
  2. DEROGATORY a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return. “the capitalist is really a parasite on the workers”

The above is from Google Dictionary.

The theme for this week is Parasite. You and your partner should work together to create one parasite that interacts with at least one human body using the pneumatic systems we are introducing in class. We would like you to include a movement of fabric activated by the pneumatic actuators.

Your parasite should transform in at least one way and give the illusion of being alive. The form of your parasite should help us understand how it is exploiting a human body. Here are some questions to help move your concept along: What feeds your parasite? What are the environmental conditions that the parasite needs to survive (i.e. sunlight, darkness, silence, noise, etc.)? Is the host-body aware of the parasite? What is the relationship between the parasite and its host? Is the parasite quickly or slowly detrimental to its host? How did the host first come in contact with the parasite?

Please think carefully about what instigates the movement of the parasite. Are there certain human movements that wake-up the parasite? Does it just continually move on its own? How is it integrated into the host’s existence?

We are expecting one parasite per person, documented with a single blog post authored by the pair. Working in pairs will create new questions and opportunities revolving around collaboration. We would like you to work together toward a pair of results, deciding together on the conceptual basis of the parasite, the specific pneumatic solutions, and the technical execution. Each person should fabricate their own device, which may be similar or different.

Deliverables.  Please write a post on the course blog with the following:

  • brief videos showing a performance of each parasite in situ
  • a brief statement for each explaining the intent, notable successes, and informative failures